Title IX
Baruch College follows the tenets of Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in programs and activities at educational institutions receiving federal funds. We are committed to providing a safe and secure academic environment free of sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, and other forms of sexual misconduct.
Title IX Sexual Misconduct Policy Update
On Friday, January 31 the U.S. Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague Letter stating, “[E]ffective immediately, the United States Department of Education’s (ED) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will enforce Title IX under the provisions of the 2020 Title IX Rule, rather than the recently invalidated 2024 Title IX Rule.” For this reason, CUNY’s 2020 Policy on Sexual Misconduct replaces the fully rescinded 2024 Policy on Sex-Based Misconduct as the policy applicable to all open and future Title IX matters, including all “open Title IX investigations initiated under the 2024 Rule.”
Please note that, as has always been the case, the Policy on Sexual Misconduct prohibits unwelcome verbal or physical behavior based on a person’s sex (e.g., sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, and gender identity, which includes transgender status), and CUNY remains committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which its community members live, learn, and work free from all forms of sex discrimination.
With this systemwide return to the Policy on Sexual Misconduct, fewer employees will have a duty to inform their Title IX Coordinator when they learn of conduct that may constitute sexual misconduct (these employees are referred to as “responsible employees” under the Policy on Sexual Misconduct). To view the categories of employees CUNY designates as Responsible Employees, please refer to Section VI (B) of the 2020 policy.
Students may still consult with Confidential Employees, who will only share a report of sexual misconduct if instructed to do so by the person who confided in them. Students who wish to speak to someone who will keep their communications confidential should speak to one of the following:
- Counselor or other staff member at the Baruch College Counseling Center;
- Nurse, nurse practitioner or other college health office staff member at the Baruch College Student Health Care Center; or
- The Baruch College Ombuds.
Employees who are neither Responsible Employees nor Confidential Employees are strongly encouraged to report allegations of sexual misconduct to the College’s Interim Title IX Coordinator.
Additionally, when an employee is informed that a student is pregnant, the employee is no longer required to provide the contact information of their Title IX Coordinator to that student, and the employee is no longer required to inform the pregnant student that their Title IX Coordinator can provide them with supportive measures. Nevertheless, CUNY encourages employees to assist students seeking supportive measures in these instances. Students who need supportive services, academic adjustments, or accommodations pertaining to a pregnancy-related condition(s) should contact the Office of Student Disability Services.
Any person wishing to submit a report of sexual misconduct should complete the Sexual Misconduct Allegation Form and email it to Bianca A. Vitale, Esq., Interim Title IX Coordinator at Baruch College: bianca.vitale@baruch.cuny.edu and titleix@baruch.cuny.edu. To make a report in person please visit the Title IX Office located in Building C-Newman Hall, Room 415 or call (646) 312-4546.
If you have a pending Title IX matter or have any questions about this announcement, please contact the College’s Interim Title IX Coordinator Bianca A. Vitale, Esq.: bianca.vitale@baruch.cuny.edu or (646) 312-4546.
For all other forms of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, and for employment discrimination on the basis of sex, please submit a report online using the CUNY University-Wide Discrimination and Retaliation Reporting Portal. These matters will be reviewed under CUNY’s Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy.
At Baruch, we remain committed to ensuring a safe and supportive campus environment. Please consider the following supportive resources that are available to you:
- Public Safety: Visit: 152 E. 26th Street, H-160; Call: (646) 312-3333; or Email: public.safety@baruch.cuny.edu
- Baruch College Student Health Care Center: Call 646-312-2040 or Email: StudentHealthCareCenter@baruch.cuny.edu.
- Student Affairs: Art King, VP of Student Affairs & Dean of Students, Call: 646-312-4570 or Email: art.king@baruch.cuny.edu
- CUNY Employee Assistance Program: Call 800-833-8707 or visit myccaonline.com and use the company code: CUNY. If you have any questions, please contact Sergine Louis.
- Human Resources: Call: (646) 660-6590 or Email: human.resources@baruch.cuny.edu
- LEGAL Affairs/Labor Designee: Olga C. Dais, Esq., Assistant Vice President, Chief Legal, Labor, and Compliance Counsel, Call: (646) 312-3320 or Email: olga.dais@baruch.cuny.edu